A flying start to the second half lays the foundation! Mainz 05 advance to the Conference League quarter-finals

Stefan Posch, with his headed goal (46′), and Armindo Sieb (82′) ensured a historic evening for Mainz 05, whilst Olomouc finished the match with ten men following Peter Barath’s second yellow card (76′). Whilst the Rheinhessen side are battling against relegation in the Bundesliga, the dream of reaching the Conference League final in Leipzig on 28 May lives on. The quarter-finals will be played on 9 and 16 April, with Mainz having home advantage in the first leg.

“We want to believe in ourselves and be brave,” said Mainz coach Urs Fischer ahead of the match on RTL. His players heeded his words: from the outset, the ‘Zero-Fivers’ sought to make their mark in attack. Mainz had the game and their opponents under control, but were also fortunate after 20 minutes when Danijel Sturm narrowly missed giving the visitors the lead.